Teaching Jeff
by Voyager Tip
Summary: Brindle and Kane arrange for Jeff's formal education to start immediately, but fail to realize just how much he is learning from Bogg while in the field and how much their separation will impact him. Minor character deaths are explored. I hope it's okay.
1. Watching Bogg

Teaching Jeffrey

Chapter 1 - Watching Bogg

Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones landed on a steep dirt slope and slid and rolled down until they got to the bottom, finally coming to a stop when they hit some large boulders.

Bogg sat up first and looked around anxiously, "You okay?" he asked when his eyes fell on Jeffrey about 6 feet away.

"Yeah, you?" was the quick response.

"Yeah," Bogg said rising.

"What's that whistling sound?" Jeff asked, and they both looked around as it got louder. They watched as a man landed on the slope above them and started to roll down. Bogg pulled Jeffrey out of the way as the man's body came to rest at his feet.

"Stan?" Bogg asked in disbelief.

"Phineas?" Stan Fuller asked, then smiled as Bogg reached down and gave him a hand up. "Well, I'll be," he glanced at Jeff, "that the kid I heard about?" he asked.

"This is Jeffrey, Jeff this is Stan Fuller, we went to the Academy together."

Stan held out his hand to Jeff and they shook, "you need help with him?" he asked Phineas as he motioned toward Jeff.

Jeff crossed his arms and scowled.

"Course not," Bogg answered taking out the omni as Stan looked around.

"So what've we got?" Stan asked glancing back at Jeff and grasping the meaning of his body language, "sorry Jeff," he finished.

Jeff chose to ignore him. "This has got to be one of the worst landings we've had," Jeff began, "I mean, look at this place." The area was full of dirt and rocks of all sizes, some of them boulders. "It looks like a landslide just happened here."

"We're luckier than him," Bogg said as his eyes fell on a man partially pinned under a large boulder. He looked down at the omni in his hand, "1849, northern California, red light," he said as they approached the man slowly.

"We'll never be able to get him out," Stan said, stating the obvious.

Phineas knelt down beside the man and Jeffrey followed, but stopped, hesitating, about 6 feet behind him. The man looked dead and Jeff didn't want to go any closer.

Bogg put his hand on the man's shoulder and his hand rose and clutched Bogg's arm as his eyes opened.

"Please," the man gasped, "help me."

Both Stan and Jeff took a step back, startled, and watched as Phineas put his hand over the man's hand and squeezed it. The right side of his chest and his right arm were crushed by the boulder, it was clear to all of them that he wouldn't live long. His breathing sounded like air bubbling through water.

"What can I do?" Phineas asked him, leaning close. Jeff strained to hear what was said.

"The buzzards," the man managed to gasp, "and wolves," again he had to pause, "bury me... please."

The tone of voice was pleading, and Jeff couldn't look any longer. Tears sprang to his eyes and he quickly wiped them away, not wanting Stan to see. He watched the river flowing nearby and tried not to think about what was happening only a few feet from him. He wished he could close his ears so he couldn't hear the bubbling sound each time the man took a breath.

Phineas untied the kerchief from around the man's neck and held it out in Jeff's direction. "Jeff, get this wet in the river for me," he asked, and Jeff took it and obeyed, glad for something to do. When he returned, Jeffrey watched as his partner wiped the man's face gently and let him suck on the end of the wet kerchief. His lips were parched, he had obviously been lying there for a while in the sun. Bogg took off his vest and leaned it against the man's head, giving him some shade. He looked at Jeff and noticed that he looked very upset. "See if you can get some sticks and support this so it gives him some shade, okay?" he asked. He hoped that Jeffrey wouldn't need him until later. This was Jeff's first encounter with death since his own parents died, and Bogg wished they hadn't landed in this situation. He wanted to protect Jeffrey, but this stranger needed him more at the moment. He was glad to see that Jeff got right up and began to search for sticks. Soon, he had a makeshift support for Bogg's vest and the man's face and upper body were shaded. Again, Phineas was forced to agree with an earlier observation he'd made while voyaging, that activity helped in situations like this.

Stan stood off to the side and observed the area. Buzzards were circling overhead. He couldn't see any sign of civilization in any direction. It looked like they were completely alone. Two leather bags lay several feet from the man, Phineas obviously hadn't seen them. He moved over and picked one up. Sometimes these prospectors had gold with them, and the time was right for the California Gold Rush. Phineas was more concerned with the man, and Stan was thankful for that. He doubted whether he could do what Phineas was doing. He opened the bag and smiled, then took a smaller sack out of the bag and shoved it into his pocket. It was very heavy and he was certain it was filled with gold. He reached down for the other leather bag, and found the same contents inside. He pushed the second sack, which was heavier, into his other pocket and glanced around worriedly. Where there was one landslide, there were likely to be others, he had learned that the hard way.

"What's your name?" Bogg asked as he wiped the side of the man's face and Jeff set up the shade.

"Blake," he gasped.

"Is there someone I can tell?"

"Partner," he paused as if saying just one word was too much effort, "Tharp."

Bogg leaned closer as the voice got softer, "Where is he?" he asked, but the voice was very weak and Jeff couldn't hear what was said. "I'll tell him," Bogg whispered and continued to wipe the man's face.

Jeffrey sat down on a rock a few feet away and watched Bogg as he worked to try to ease Blake's suffering. As they sat there, Jeffrey realized that this man would die soon and there was nothing they could do about it. He hated the bubbling sound that accompanied every breath and wanted to leave. As though reading his mind, Bogg held out the kerchief toward him and asked him to wet it again. He immediately got up and walked to the river, glad to have a break from the intensity of the scene.

He handed the wet cloth to Bogg and sat watching him, mesmerized, for a long time. Blake was no longer talking, but was moving, feeble and restless. Jeff wondered how long it could take for Blake to die, because he realized that Bogg wasn't going to leave him. He watched as Phineas leaned over the man again and spoke quietly to him. What did you say to someone as they were dying he wondered? He watched as Bogg continued wiping the man's forehead, and listened to the noisy breathing one last time.

The realization of what the sudden silence meant hit Jeff and he was stunned. Four of them had been there a minute ago, and now there were only three. He swallowed hard but was afraid to speak. He watched the man's body twitch slightly and then lie still.

Phineas sat back on his heels. "Sorry I couldn't do more," he whispered as he stared at the man. Then he turned to Jeff, "thanks for the shade, it made him more comfortable."

Jeff stared at his friend for a few seconds, "what was the date again?" he asked, wanting to focus on something concrete.

Bogg opened the omni, "June 14, 1849, and now it's green," he said in a surprised tone as he held the omni toward them so both Jeff and Stan could see the light.

"But it can't be green now, we didn't do anything," Jeff said.

"He might disagree," Phineas said nodding toward Blake.

"But he can't change history now," Jeff paused, "we're alone here, this is crazy, nothing's gonna change because of what you did for him," Jeff insisted.

"Well obviously the omni's not working right," Stan added after a short pause.

"What does yours say?" Jeff asked him.

Stan opened his omni and showed them the green light. "I bet it's been green all along," he finished.

"You didn't look at it before, did you?" Phineas asked.

"No," Stan conceded, "but we must've landed in a green zone. The kid's right, nothing you did could've changed history. And after my last mission, I deserved a green zone."

"Our omni must be wrong," Jeff said eyeing Stan's enviously. "Why do we always seem to have trouble with that thing?"

"I wouldn't be so quick to assume that," Phineas began as he put the kerchief into his pocket, but was interrupted as the ground seemed to tremble. A soft, low-pitched rumbling reached their ears. Bogg looked at the surrounding area, the cliff was still steep where the most recent landslide had taken place.

He grabbed his vest and moved quickly toward Jeffrey as Stan started running toward the river, seeming to read his mind. Bogg was afraid to yell, so he spoke softly, but urgently to Jeff, "landslide, we have to move," and then motioned away from the area, toward the river, in the direct Stan had run. The three ran together toward the river as fast as they could.


	2. Stan

_Author's Note: My personal writing challenge in this story is to manage many minor characters, developing each one just a bit, rather than just one additional new character that is more deeply developed. So you'll meet many various people during this story. Also, I have done more historical research and I hope that makes the story more appealing. The overall theme is, that Jeffrey is learning a lot more from Bogg than he could ever learn in a classroom. I hope you enjoy it! _

Chapter 2 Stan

As they reached the river, the sound got suddenly louder and Phineas paused to be sure Jeff was with him. Stan ran on ahead while he and Jeffrey followed as fast as Jeff could run. They ran as far and as fast downstream as they could, following Stan as he finally veered off to the side, up a small hill into some trees.

The loudest roaring sound Jeff had ever heard reached their ears as they ran. Bogg was afraid to take the time to look back so he continued running behind Jeff, trying to watch the trail ahead for obstacles that might slow Jeff's progress. As they started up the hill, Jeffrey slipped and started to slide back down. Behind him, Bogg caught his foot and cupped his hand under it giving him a boost up the last bit of slope, then climbed up behind him. There were woods at the top and once they were well among the trees, they stopped running where Stan had fallen, finally spent, gasping for breath and clutching their sides. The roaring sound died away quickly, leaving total silence.

As Jeff recovered in the eerie silence that followed the slide, he moved closer to Bogg and held on to his arm tightly, ready to omni out. He felt Bogg reach around his back and pull him close. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. It was hard to sort out all his emotions. The closeness felt good and he buried his head into Bogg's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him.

Stan watched from a few feet away in silence. He didn't want to intrude on their privacy, so he lay quietly on his back and stared up at the sky through the treetops.

Finally, Jeff sat up and took a deep breath. "Do you think the omni is working right? Jeff asked him, "because I just don't see the point of all that."

"I wouldn't be too quick to assume it's wrong," Bogg answered.

"Let's change the topic," Stan said as he pulled the two sacks out of his pockets and set them down on a flat rock between them.

"What're those?" Jeff asked in surprise.

"Well, I didn't get a chance to look, but considering where we are, and when, and how heavy they are, I'm betting it's gold. Let's see if I'd win," and with that, Stan opened one of the sacks and dumped the contents onto the flat rock. Shiny pebbles and dust glittered in the sunlight.

"Wow!" Jeff exclaimed and watched as Stan poured the second sack out too, and then started dividing it up into 2 piles.

"What're you doing?" Bogg asked him.

"Dividing it up," he paused, "what do you think?" he asked in confusion.

"It's not ours," Bogg said.

Stan smiled, "oh come on Phin, this is a green light," he glanced back toward the area of the landslide, "it would've been buried with him," he paused, then continued when Phineas didn't answer, "this is a retirement bonus, it's meant to be."

There was silence, and Jeff looked from one to the other.

"I don't remember learning anything at the Academy about taking money out of its proper time for retirement bonuses," Bogg said finally.

"That's because you had the lowest grades in the class, twenty third out of 23 if I remember correctly," Stan responded hotly. "Sorry," he said, immediately regretting what he'd said. They both knew that success in the field was all that mattered, not grades.

"And you were number 2, yeah I know."

There was a long pause.

"The omni can malfunction," Stan said in exasperation. "I heard it put you in 1982, isn't that when you picked up the kid?"

"But that wasn't a mistake, Jeff's supposed to be a Voyager."

"Then he could've been plucked any time, just like the rest of us. No Phineas, his being with you is a mistake, whether you admit it or not, and so was the red light you saw. It was a green zone all along, and it still is. And the first thing we learned in school was 'don't mess with a green zone.'"

Pause.

"Haven't you ever seen the light change color when you thought it shouldn't?" Phineas asked, certain he knew the answer.

"We all have, but it only happens when it needs a good overhaul. That's why I'm saying that red light was a mistake."

"My omni is working fine, why assume it's a mistake? Maybe the light turns green for reasons we can't understand?"

"You're nuts," Stan said.

"Well, I don't understand everything about how an omni works, do you?"

Stan took a deep breath, "I'm taking my half of that gold," he said and continued dividing the pile of dust and pebbles. When he finished, he turned to Jeff.

"Pick the bigger pile kid," he said, and Jeff looked at Bogg, who nodded. The piles looked equal to him, but he chose one and pointed to it anyway. Stan scooped up the other pile and soon had it stored safely in his pocket and Jeffrey did the same with the second sack.

After this was done, they sat in uncomfortable silence.

"So what're you gonna do now?" Stan asked Phineas.

"Try to find his partner," Bogg replied.

"It's a green light," Stan repeated. "The money is gone in this time, giving it to his partner might mess things up, did your C minus brain think of that?"

"Maybe his partner would appreciate knowing what happened to him, did your A+ brain think of that?" Bogg responded, annoyed.

Stan shook his head and looked at Jeff. "You understand what I'm saying, don't you?" he asked.

"Course," Jeff answered.

Stan paused, "so you're really gonna try to find his partner?"

"Yeah," Bogg answered. Since traveling with Jeffrey, he had a new appreciation for partnerships and felt that they at least had to try.

Stan sighed and shook his head, "just telling his partner could change the future, you know that don't you?" When Bogg didn't respond, he continued, "you really take the cake Phineas, well, good luck, I guess there's no reason for me to stay then." He paused and held his hand out to Bogg, "good to see you again."

"Yeah," Bogg said as they shook hands, "soft landings."

"So long Jeff," Stan said and pushed the button.


	3. Feet

Chapter 3 Feet

Sometime later Jeff and Phineas left the woods and stood looking out over the river. Its course had changed slightly and it now flowed around the rocks from the last landslide. They could see upstream far enough to appreciate that a massive slide now covered the area where they had left Blake. A buzzard landed on a rock in the middle of the area as they watched.

"Well, he's buried away from the wolves and buzzards. I guess there's nothing more to do here," Bogg observed.

Jeffrey stared at the spot, not knowing what to say.

Bogg put his hand on his shoulder, "downstream, let's go." And they started to walk.

Ooo

"Stan was right, you know," Jeff said sometime later as they sat down to rest beside the stream. They had been walking downstream most of the afternoon. "Giving his partner the money could change history."

Phineas sighed, "I know, but it just didn't seem right to be dividing up his gold so soon after he died," Bogg whispered.

Jeff stared at his partner thinking, "maybe not."

There was a long pause, and Phineas glanced at Jeff. Watching Blake die had undoubtedly been upsetting for him. He thought it was probably time for a lighter topic. He was sure that Jeff would be thinking about what he had seen and in the next few days he would want to talk about it, but there was no need to dwell on it right now. Sometimes these things needed time. He searched his mind for one of the topics he'd decided to teach Jeff, looking for something light and fun. Finally he spoke, "did I ever teach you about feet?" he asked.

"What?"

"Feet, you know, taking care of your feet?"

Jeff stared at him, ready for a joke, but Bogg was pulling off his boots. "uh, no, I don't think so," he said as he watched his partner.

"If we were in any sort of dangerous place, or were unsure about the danger, we'd do this one at a time, but I'm pretty sure we aren't gonna run into trouble here, so why don't you take off your shoes and socks." As he spoke, Bogg moved closer to the edge of the river, lowering his feet into the water.

"You're soaking your feet?" Jeff asked as he smiled in amusement.

"Yep."

"I ask you all the time to teach me about Voyaging, and now that we have some time in a green zone, you want me to soak my feet?" Jeff asked in disbelief.

"This is a very important concept," Phineas insisted, then laughed at Jeff's expression. "I'm serious!" he continued and they both laughed, hesitantly at first, then uncontrollably.

As Jeffrey lowered his feet into the cold stream, he spoke, "now really, what's the deal with the feet?"

"How far would you get if something happened to your feet?" Bogg asked him.

"Okay, I know people walk on their feet Bogg."

"But, do you realize how important it is to keep your feet healthy? Think of all the times we've needed to run, or climb," he paused, "to get away from that landslide for example."

Jeff's expression grew sober, he could still hear the roaring noise as they ran.

"So one thing all Voyagers learn pretty quickly, is to take care of their feet. It's an important concept, but I bet nobody else will ever teach it to you. It's one of the things you have to learn on your own, sometimes the hard way."

Jeff watched as his friend looked off into the distance, seeming to remember something. He wondered what it could be. Suddenly, this seemed like an important thing to know.

"Well, I still think this is a little weird, but thanks for teaching it to me," he said.

They washed their feet and let them air dry, in silence, until Phineas spoke again.

"You probably know that river sediment tends to have concentrations of elements in it, don't you?" he asked.

"You mean like gold? Yeah, I know people pan for gold in rivers and streams."

"Other things get concentrated in the sediment of rivers and streams too." Bogg continued.

"You mean like silt? Dirt that washes downstream?"

"That too, but I was thinking of metals, whatever metals are in the mountains surrounding a river will end up in the rocks and sediment of the river."

"Okay, what river and what metals," Jeff asked, catching on.

Phineas smiled and pulled on his boots, "ask me about the Volga and Ural Rivers when we get somewhere that's not so rocky," he said and gestured downstream, where Jeffrey hadn't noticed there were lots of huge boulders to climb around. They wouldn't have much chance for conversation until they were past them.

"The Volga and Ural Rivers," Jeff whispered, "okay, I won't forget," and Bogg knew he wouldn't.


	4. Musings

Chapter 4 Musings

After they made camp that evening, Jeff sat down and spoke, "Stan is an honest person, he didn't have to show us that gold."

Bogg nodded, "He's a good man, someone you can trust."

"Are we really gonna try to find Blake's partner?" Jeff asked, changing the topic.

"Wouldn't you want someone to tell you if something happened to me?" Bogg asked.

Jeff looked away, suddenly struck by the recent events.

"Sorry," Bogg whispered, putting his hand on Jeff's shoulder.

Jeff took a deep breath and turned back to him, "yeah," he whispered, "you're sure he said 'Hangtown'?"

"Hangtown, downstream, that's what he said," Bogg answered as he poked at the campfire.

"Sounds pleasant," Jeff whispered, settling down on the ground near the fire and closing his eyes.

Later that evening, Phineas still sat staring at the campfire. It was late and Jeff had been asleep for a while. He figured they had walked a good ten miles over rough terrain, and Jeff had fallen asleep quickly.

He poked at the fire, thinking back over the events of the day. He had realized long ago that Jeffrey could've been plucked, like any other Voyager. He knew there were probably people at headquarters who thought that Voyaging with him was a mistake, but he firmly believed he was meant to be with Jeff. And since he loved Voyaging, that meant that Jeff would be with him. He felt it so strongly that there just wasn't room for doubt. Besides, the little bit of their history that he'd found out from Professor Garth after the trial seemed to point to Jeff voyaging with him, though he didn't find out for how long.

At first he'd been sure it was because Jeff needed love, and he still felt that was true, but now he thought there was more to it. Now that he was teaching Jeff more about Voyaging, he felt that an important responsibility had been thrust upon his shoulders. Jeffrey had some sort of important future as a Voyager, and his early training and experiences had been entrusted to Phineas, of all people. Being with Jeff had also forced him to analyze his own accumulated knowledge as he planned what and how to teach Jeffrey. He was growing and becoming a better Voyager himself, and a better person, because he was with Jeff. Maybe they both had a big future ahead? Nah, he shook his head and smiled at the thought that he could contribute anything of value to the Voyager's mission. He was a Field Worker, a good one, yes, but just a Field Worker, and he always would be.

It did nag at him a bit that it was illogical that he would have this great responsibility, given that he had graduated last in his class. Not exactly a shining star academically. Even in sports, the only title he'd ever held was "Light-Heavyweight Champ of his boxing team", and that had only been for a year, until someone won it away from him. He didn't seem like the most obvious choice to care for Jeff, but he'd always trusted the omni and it hadn't led him wrong so far... as long as he kept it serviced, and at the moment it was working fine.

He sighed and poked at the campfire, wondering how the omni could have changed from red to green after Blake died. No matter how he looked at it, it just didn't seem to make sense. Finally, he lay down and slept.


	5. Hangtown

Chapter 5 Hangtown

They were up with the sun the next morning and both felt refreshed. Later that day they followed the stream around a bend and saw a small encampment. As they approached, they realized it was bustling with activity. Horses and mules, wagons and dogs, and what seemed like hundreds of people were coming and going out of the many hastily built stores and saloons.

Cabins surrounded the outskirts of the town and as they walked down the street in the center of the town, they realized that several miners lived in each one. They paused in front of the only saloon.

"Wow, this is what it was really like during the Gold Rush," Jeff whispered as they watched men carrying picks and shovels walk past them, wide pans banging against their legs with every step.

Bogg scanned the area, hoping to find a central location where he could ask about Tharp. He had seen places like this on his various travels and knew it was not a healthy place. Maybe it was a good topic to teach Jeff about. Then again, maybe he already knew.

"What do you know about this time?" Phineas asked.

That was all Jeff needed too begin an excited description. "The California Gold Rush started in January, 1848 when gold was discovered by a guy named, uh," here he paused and looked out into the distance, "James Marshall, at Sutter's Mill in California. Because news traveled slower back then, it wasn't until 1849 that the area was flooded with people all looking for gold. That's why they were called the '49ers'. People came from everywhere. This is June, 1849 so we're in the middle of it right now."

Jeff paused, a satisfied expression, almost a smirk on his face. Bogg looked at him in awe, he sure did know a lot. "Very good," he said, "that is exactly what you'd learn in Voyager school."

Jeff smirked. He'd always loved getting praise from Bogg, but now that he knew Bogg had been last in his class, he had to admit, it didn't seem to mean as much. "Bet you didn't know all that," he said in a tone of voice Phineas hadn't heard before. Not really nasty, but, different somehow.

Phineas stiffened and looked at Jeff. His tone left little room for interpretation. It was clear to Phineas that he'd been thinking about Stan's comment about his grades in school. Phineas sighed and made a decision to overlook it. Jeff would figure out for himself what was most important quickly enough.

"In the earlier classes anyway," Bogg finished.

Jeff paused, "what do you mean, 'the earlier classes?" he asked.

"Those are the classes I did worst in. I never was much good at keeping track of names and dates."

"But if you couldn't remember the big names and dates, how did you ever pass the later courses, I mean, weren't they harder? Didn't they have more details to remember?" Jeff asked, confused.

"They were different. I got good grades in the later courses, but I did so badly in the basics that when we were done and everything was added up, like Stan said, I was last in the class."

Jeff paused and looked up at his mentor and friend. He was sorry for thinking less of Bogg earlier. He suddenly had the feeling that he had a lot more to learn, and he had no business judging Bogg. He searched for something to say, to apologize, but since Bogg hadn't acknowledged his nasty tone, he couldn't think of how to say he was sorry. He decided to talk less and listen more. "How were the advanced courses different?" he asked.

Phineas caught the softer tone and felt better. After a moment he began. "How many of these people do you think will find gold, keep it and go home rich?" he asked as they stood taking in the scene.

Jeff looked at him and shrugged, "I don't know, most?"

"Ten percent, about," Bogg answered.

"Why? What happens to them?" Jeff asked.

"Accidents, murder, but mostly disease." Bogg told him.

"How did they lose their money?"

"Drinking, gambling, women, the usual culprits," Bogg answered. Some day he'd have to explain about the women in more detail, but he didn't feel ready for that yet.

"I've read about people who got rich here," Jeff said.

"That's because the people who get rich tend to write the books, or books will be written about them," Bogg continued. "Most of these people will be dead within a year, or, if they're lucky, they'll get very sick and leave, and they'll be poor when they do."

Jeff looked around at all the men. It was true, now that he looked closer, many of them did look ill. "So what do you learn about in Voyager school?"

"About people. Why they do things, what tends to happen to them, not specifics, but generalities. There are too many specific things to learn. Like, right now, if we were to go into one of those cabins at random, I bet there would be someone very sick inside, maybe more than one person."

They stood in silence until Bogg spoke again, "I think the saloon will be the best place to ask about Tharp."

They walked together up the street toward the saloon. Jeff expected Bogg to make him wait outside, like he had in Nassau when they were looking for Jean LaFitte, the pirate, but he didn't, so they both entered the dark building together.

_Author's Note: Hangtown was a real place, and the conditions described were common among mining towns. The name is based on stories that 3 people were hung there by the miners, during the early days of the Gold Rush. Hale Tharp is also a real character. He went on to do good things, though not great ones later. But as Bogg once said, "everyone is important."_


	6. Partners

Chapter 6 Partners

As their eyes adjusted, Jeff could make out a long counter, with a man behind it. They approached and he came over to them.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked. He had a pale complexion and very dark hair, and though Jeff couldn't quite put his finger on it, he didn't look well.

"I'm looking for someone named Tharp, can you tell me where I might find him?" Bogg asked.

The man moved his head slightly to one side, indicating a table in the corner.

"Thanks," Bogg answered as they moved toward the lone man. "Tharp?"

The man looked up, "who wants to know?" he asked suspiciously.

Phineas held out his hand and the man hesitated a moment, then reached out and shook it.

"Phineas Bogg, Jeffrey Jones," Bogg introduced them, indicating Jeff when he said his name.

"Hale Tharp," he said. "How did you know my name?" He looked to be about 17 or 18, a lot younger than Jeff had thought originally. His clothes were dirty, but his skin color was healthy, unlike anyone else they had seen. He wore his hair a bit long and it was chestnut brown and wavy. Judging by his looks, Jeff thought that he was probably the healthiest person in the whole town.

Something about the kid touched Phineas deep inside. "Can we sit?" he asked first, and when they were sitting, he asked the first question in a soft voice. "Do you have a partner?"

Tharp sat up straight, "what happened?" he whispered in a voice charged with emotion.

Jeffrey also sat up straight and suddenly realized that Bogg obviously knew something he didn't. He looked from Bogg to Tharp and saw Bogg hesitate, weighing how to respond.

Phineas paused, and realized his hunch had been right about the kid. This was going to be hard. "Is your partner's name Blake?" he asked.

Tharp nodded, "where is he?" Listening to the fear in Tharp's voice affected Jeffrey more than he would have believed. He felt his stomach tighten and a lump in his throat.

"I have some bad news," Phineas said and waited. Tharp's expression stiffened, he seemed to steal himself right before Jeff's eyes. Phineas watched him, then continued, "there was a landslide, upstream, about a days hike from here. We got there right afterward, there wasn't anything we could do."

The boy's whole body seemed to cave in, and yet he sat still, trying not to show any emotion. Bogg continued, not wanting to drag it out longer than necessary, yet wanting to ease him into it. "We were with him when he died."

"I don't believe it," Tharp paused, "why should I believe you?" But even as he spoke, Phineas could tell he knew it was true.

There was a long silence.

"He must've talked to you, what did he say?" Tharp asked.

"Just your name, that you were his partner, and where to find you," Bogg answered and put his hand on Tharp's shoulder as a tear spilled out of the kid's eye.

Tharp wiped it with the back of his hand and turned his face away from Bogg. "I knew he wouldn't leave me, not if he could help it," he told them. "Was he in pain?"

Bogg hesitated and Jeffrey spoke for the first time. "The heat was pretty bad, we gave him shade, and Bogg wiped him down with water from the river. He woke up enough to talk, he didn't seem to be in pain."

"Thanks for what you did for him," Tharp said. The three of them sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts until Tharp cleared his throat. "So if I travel upstream, I should find him?"

"There was a second slide, just after he died, it buried him. We barely got away," Bogg explained.

Tharp nodded. "I think I'll try to find the spot and put a marker anyway."

"Do you want some company?" Bogg asked.

He shook his head, "I'll be fine. He taught me to take care of myself, thanks. I just wish I had something to remember him by."

Phineas glanced at Jeffrey and reached into his vest pocket. For a moment, Jeff thought he was going to give him the gold, but instead he pulled out Blake's kerchief. "I used this to wet his face," he said and Tharp reached up and took it.

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry to bring such bad news. You were obviously very close."

Tharp nodded. "Yeah, I owe him more than I could ever pay back, that's for sure."

"How did you meet?" Bogg asked, sensing that Tharp might want to talk.

"My parents were killed in a train wreck, in Michigan, when I was ten. I didn't have any other family, so after the money ran out, I took to the streets. I lived by stealing and eating garbage for a few months, until I met Blake. He just took me under his wing and watched out for me. We're like family." He sighed, "I never told him how much I..." he stopped and took a shaking breath.

Phineas squeezed his shoulder again and leaned in close. He spoke quietly, and Jeff strained to hear what he said, "he knows, he wouldn't have told us about you if he didn't."

Tharp swallowed and stood up, "well, he was a good man, that's for sure. I hope I can be as good. Thanks for everything," and with that, he turned and walked out of the saloon.

Phineas unclipped the omni and opened it, he showed the green light to Jeff. "I guess that's that," he said, thankful that it hadn't turned red.

"I thought for a minute you were going to give him the gold," Jeff said as he grasped Bogg's arm with both hands while his partner set the omni.

"Couldn't risk it. What I did was risky enough. It wasn't right, according to protocol, I want you to know that. Just finding out what happened could have changed his future. Stan was right when he said the first thing you learn is 'don't mess with a green light."

"Why'd you do it then?" Jeff asked.

"It seemed like the right thing, and now that it's over and we still have a green light, I think it was."

"Me too," Jeff said squeezing Bogg's arm, and when the bartender's back was turned, they disappeared.


	7. The Omni

Chapter 7 The Omni

They landed in a grassy field near some bleachers. They immediately looked around, but no one else was there. Phineas took out the omni and glanced at Jeff, usually the first thing he asked was 'where are we', but this time he watched as Jeff sat down on the bleachers. He appeared to be deep in thought.

"You okay?" Bogg asked, thinking to himself that a lot had happened.

Jeff nodded but didn't offer any explanation of what he was thinking about.

Shouting could be heard coming from across the field and slowly but surely they watched as children of all ages wandered onto the field. As they started to roll and kick a ball around, it became obvious that this was a neighborhood pick up game. Jeff stood up and walked to the chain link fence between them and the kids. "I know this game, they're gonna play kickball," he said and stood watching enviously.

"Why don't you join them?" Bogg said, opening the omni and showing Jeff the green light. Jeff looked at him in amazement.

"Really?" he asked.

"Sure kid, I'll watch," Phineas answered and was rewarded with a huge smile from Jeff before he ran around the fence and onto the field.

"This omni's not broken," Bogg said to himself as he clipped it back onto his belt. After what they'd just been through, Phineas was in total agreement, they both needed a break.

It was after dusk when the game broke up and Jeff ran back to Bogg.

"That was great, but I'm starved," he said.

Phineas opened a bag and handed Jeff a sandwich wrapped in paper and two cups. Then he reached down and picked up a large bottle of juice off the lawn beside the bleachers and poured two cups of juice.

"Where'd you get the food?"

Phineas motioned across the street to a small deli, now closed.

"But you didn't have any money?" Jeff asked before taking a bite from his own sandwich, and Bogg moved his head in the opposite direction and Jeff read a lighted sign, " Hillsborough Gold and Coin Exchange."

Jeff's eyes opened wide. He swallowed and spoke, "but the odds of landing where you could exchange gold for money have gotta be very long."

"Not if you trust the omni. This is where we needed to be. You needed to just be a kid, and I needed to change the gold."

"So you really trust that thing?"

"Yep."

"Then how do you explain the red light before Blake died? Nobody saw anything and he sure didn't do anything to change history before it turned green."

"I don't know about that," Phineas said.

"Who then?"

"You," he paused, "and me and Stan."

"But we aren't gonna change history," Jeff said.

"Not the official time-stream history, no, but what about our own history?" Bogg asked.

Jeff opened his mouth to respond, but found he didn't know what to say.

"Come on," Phineas said, not waiting for a response. "I think we're sleeping in the dugout tonight," and he got up and walked around the fence and into the dugout. He'd long ago learned that any shelter at night was better than no shelter.


	8. Taking a Break

Chapter 8 A Break

The songbirds woke Jeffrey early the next morning. He could hear Bogg's soft breathing nearby and knew he was still asleep. He sat up and looked around. He was used to waking up in odd places, and this was no exception. He crossed his legs, Indian style and sat quietly. Bogg was laying on his back, his bent elbow covering his eyes. Jeff smiled as he realized that was the way Bogg almost always slept. It felt good, being so close to someone that you knew how they slept.

He stared at Bogg and imagined him again, as he cared for Blake. Then, without warning, he pictured Hale Tharp and remembered his reaction to the news about Blake's death and how Bogg had told him.

Tharp reminded Jeffrey of himself, the parallels were too strong to miss. Jeff had been an orphan too, not living on the streets, but living a life where his needs weren't met. He shook his head. Any court would probably rule that his aunt had cared for him well, but he knew what had been missing. He had been living without the most important thing, love. He knew that a 1982 court would probably rule that his present circumstances were not acceptable, and his aunt would agree, but they would be wrong. Living anywhere, under any conditions with Bogg, who wanted him, was better than with Aunt Elizabeth, who didn't. He'd never said as much to Bogg, but he hoped that Bogg knew. He could understand why Tharp felt that he had never thanked Blake enough, or told him how much he appreciated him. It was a hard thing to put into words. He realized that up until now, he hadn't really appreciated it all himself.

And it wasn't only that he felt loved and wanted, but Bogg was teaching him so much more than history. He heard Tharp's words again, _"he was a good man. I hope I can be as good."_ Jeff realized that he felt the same way about Bogg.

Bogg moved his arm away from his eyes and stretched. "You're up early," he observed.

"The birds were noisy," Jeff answered.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'd like some breakfast and a better place to stay."

"Hey, where are we anyway?" Jeff asked suddenly. "I can't believe I didn't ask."

Bogg smiled, "well, you had a lot on your mind, what with trying to win that game and all," Bogg joked.

Jeff smiled, remembering last evening, "it was fun, but really, where are we?"

Bogg opened the omni to check again, then smiled, "Hillsborough, New Hampshire, August 20th, 1952, green light. Now, how about that breakfast?"


	9. Hillsborough

Chapter 9 In Hillborogh

Two hours later they had eaten and checked into a rooming house up the street. Then they started exploring the town.

"Hey look!" Jeff said excitedly and pointed to a mailbox at the end of a long driveway. The home at the other end was really a mansion. The lawn was manicured and the paint new."

"Do you recognize this place?" Bogg asked.

"Not the place, but the name," and he started walking toward the mailbox.

"The Franklin Pierce House," Bogg read, "that does sound familiar, now that you mention it."

"He was President of the United States, Bogg," Jeff informed him, rolling his eyes.

"Was or will be?" Bogg asked.

Jeff paused, "you said we were in 1952?, so he was elected 100 years ago, this is probably a museum, can we go in?"

Bogg nodded and they walked up the long driveway. As they entered, a pretty blonde with her hair pulled back into a long pony tail asked for the admission fee.

"No problem," Phineas said in a voice so soft that Jeff looked up from the weapons cabinet that had caught his eye.

"Oh brother," he whispered to himself as he again rolled his eyes. Bogg was staring at the girl, who was smiling and staring back. "I'll just look around," Jeff said loudly, and Phineas lifted his arm in Jeff's direction to show that he heard. Jeff sighed and started to explore the building.

They spent the afternoon at the museum, Jeffrey pouring over old documents, and Bogg spending time with the girl, Celeste.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Celeste called out as they left.

"You bet," Phineas turned and walked backwards a few steps down the driveway as he answered with a smile.

Jeff looked at him, "so what did you learn about Franklin Pierce today?" he joked.

"That I love his house, and his taste in employees," Phineas said smiling. He knew that Jeffrey had immersed himself in the history contained in this house and as always, was impressed with his ability to focus deeply on something for such a long time. He took out the omni and checked it, "still green."

"You think it might change?" Jeff asked.

"Don't know, always good to check though."

After supper they went back to the park and Jeff joined in the game again. This time he noticed that one of the boys walked from the direction of the long driveway.

"What's your name?' Jeff asked him as they began to play.

"Benjamin Pierce," the boy answered.

"Is Franklin Pierce a relative of yours?" Jeff asked interestedly.

"Yep, something like my great-great-great uncle," Benjamin answered.

Jeff smiled. Voyagers sure got to know some interesting people. Later he told Bogg about the encounter. "And you know what Bogg? He was a really good player, I'm glad he was on my team!"

"That's great kid, but I was watching and you were the star player."

"I was not," Jeff replied, but he was smiling.

"You were to me," Bogg said and Jeff laughed, it was nice to hear.

The next day was hot and humid and they walked toward the museum again.

"Bogg, I know you want to see Celeste again, but I really think I've gotten all I can get out of this museum, it's not that big," Jeff said as they approached.

"What about there?" Phineas asked, pointing to a red brick building farther up the street.

Jeff strained to read the small sign, 'Hillsborough Public Library'" he said aloud and stopped walking. He looked at Bogg and smiled, "really? Can I go in?"

"It's open til one o'clock today, I checked," his partner answered as they continued on past the museum to the front door of the library. "I'll be at the museum if you want me," and Jeff knew Bogg was going back to see Celeste. He smiled knowingly and then turned and entered the building.

"May I help you?" asked a friendly voice as he closed the door. The librarian was fairly young and Jeff smiled, thinking that Bogg would love to meet her too.

"I'm looking for a book on the Volga and Ural Rivers?" he asked and she ushered him to the right side of the room.

Ooo

After the library closed, they ate lunch, then walked down to the river that ran behind the rooming house.

"This way," Bogg motioned and started to walk downstream.

"Haven't we followed enough rivers lately?" Jeff asked as he trailed along.

"Word on the street is that this might be fun," Bogg answered.

As they walked, they began to hear yelling and splashing noises, and finally they found a beach. Some of the local kids were there too, and Benjamin came over to them when they arrived. After the introductions, they looked around.

"Did you know this was here?" Jeff asked as he pulled off his shirt.

"I didn't spend 4 hours with Celeste yesterday for nothing," Bogg answered and walked to the water's edge, calmly picking up a pail on his way. He dipped it in the water and suddenly turned and threw the water in Jeff's direction.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Jeff laughed and immediately ran to the water and began to splash his partner with his hands as best he could.

"Bad strategy, I'm barely wet," Phineas joked and bent to fill the pail again, this time dumping it directly on top of Jeff's head.

Jeff dove into the cool water before the pail had turned over, then came up behind Phineas and splashed his back, "missed me."

They spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the water and the company. It made the hot, humid day much more pleasant. The kids left one at a time until finally they were alone, sitting side by side on the grassy bank of the stream.

"Can I ask you a question?" Jeff finally asked as they watched the sun sink into the trees across the river.

"What?"

"Do you think Stan was afraid to get too close to Blake?"

Phineas stared at him, and then looked out at the water flowing slowly past them.

"Maybe, only he would know for sure."

"I was," Jeff whispered.

Phineas put his arm around Jeffrey's back and rested it on his opposite shoulder, "of course you were, that's the most normal feeling in the world."

Jeff was quiet for a moment, "you weren't."

"No."

"What you did for him was ... good," Jeff said and looked up at Phineas and smiled. He didn't know how to say it, but when Bogg shrugged and smiled back, he was sure he understood.

"Thanks."

Ooo

After supper, Jeff stretched out on the twin bed in their room and immediately fell asleep.

Phineas laughed to himself as he took off Jeff's sneakers and pulled a sheet up to cover him. Fun and sleep were two things he felt were more important than a lot of people thought. He closed the window a bit as it started to rain. The wind had picked up and it looked like the hot humid weather was breaking.

Voyagers had a saying, 'when the wind changed, it was time to move on'. Reluctantly, Phineas realized they should be moving on too. He wished times like this with Jeff could last longer, but the truth was, the more time you spent in a green zone, the more likely you would accidentally change history. Celeste had made a great distraction, but he would tell Jeff tomorrow that they had to get back to work.


	10. Landing Apart

Chapter 10 Landing Apart

**Bogg's Landing**

Phineas Bogg landed with a hard thud and immediately was surrounded by the roar and squeal of engines. The surface he'd landed on was shaking violently and freezing cold. Icy wind whipped sleet in his face and he had to close his eyes. He reached out, still blinded by the sleet, but his hands could find nothing to grasp on this flat, icy surface.

"Jeff?" he called out loudly, but the roar of the wind and the engines drowned out his words. He listened hard but didn't hear an answering call. Suddenly he slid back and felt no support under his legs, and then his whole body slid off the edge of whatever surface he'd been on. He flailed out his arms and his hand connected with an icy metal bar, he brought his other hand to it and forced his eyes open. The roaring of the wind as it whipped around him grew even louder as his foot also found a slippery bar that would hold his weight and he realized he was on a ladder on the side of a boxcar at the end of a very long train. But where was Jeff?

"Jeffrey?" he called again and listened, but still there was no answer. He climbed down to a platform behind the car and bent over, holding his side, catching his breath and clinging to a metal railing on the back of the car, afraid to let go. He hoped Jeff had landed inside. If he'd landed on the roof there's no way he could have hung on. The wind would have sent him over the edge. Suddenly a door next to him opened and he felt himself pulled inside.

**Jeff's Landing**

Jeffrey landed in a small space between two chairs. The floor was shaking and he had trouble keeping his balance as he stood up. He looked around and noticed that he'd landed in an open area at the front end of a railroad car. He stood up and was facing two men, well dressed, in old fashioned clothing. Just past them, on a bench seat in the first row, a boy slept, covered in a quilt.

"Where did you come from?" one of the men said, looking up as Jeff fell.

"Sorry, just, uh, fooling around, lost my balance, have you seen my uncle?" he asked hopefully.

They stared at him for a moment, then went back to their conversation and Jeff looked around.

"Bogg?" he called out, and the few people in the car turned their heads to look at him in surprise. He couldn't see Bogg and immediately began to worry. He moved unsteadily to the very front of the car, it was hard to keep his balance with the car shaking. He looked out the window in the door. He could see inside the next car, that would be where he looked next, but first he had to search this one. The engines and the noise from the train moving over the rails were so noisy that he didn't think he'd be able to hear if Bogg had called to him. And if he'd been hurt, his voice might be very soft. So he made his way slowly from the front of the car, to the back, checking behind every seat as he went, continuing to call out, and to listen. At the back of the car he looked out the window and into the next car, still nothing. Panic was starting to get a grip on him and he forced it down and tried to think. He fingered the omni, hanging on his belt. Bogg had let him handle it this trip, but it was little comfort. He couldn't go anywhere without Bogg. He'd always thought that the omni was so powerful and had been very excited to be in charge of it during this mission, but now he realized just how useless it could be.

Suddenly he heard a soft thud, as if something had banged against the back entrance of the car. He looked out and spotted someone, then opened the door and saw Bogg bending over holding his side, as though exhausted. "Bogg!" he shouted, but with the door open, the noise of the train was 4 times as loud and he knew he wouldn't be heard. He grasped Bogg's belt and hauled him inside the car, then pushed the door shut as Phineas fell onto his knees in the aisle.


	11. Together Again

Chapter 11 Together

Phineas opened his sore eyes and saw Jeff kneeling in front of him. He reached out and pulled him into a tight hug. Jeffrey hugged Bogg tightly also and noticed how cold he was.

"You're freezing," he said as he let go and went to get one of the blankets that was folded neatly and stored on each seat. He opened it up and wrapped it around Phineas.

"You okay?" Bogg asked pulling the blanket around himself and shivering.

"Yeah, where were you? I just looked out and you weren't there?" he asked.

"Roof," Bogg gasped and shivered again.

Jeff looked at him worriedly, "sit up on the seat, it's warmer," and he helped Bogg move into the last seat and then turned and got him 2 other blankets from nearby seats.

He put them over Bogg's head and legs so that he looked like a cocoon, and then sat beside him and put his arms around him again.

Phineas sat quietly for several minutes in the cushioned seat, calming down and warming up. Knowing Jeff was okay was really all he needed, but the warmth of the blankets felt good, as did Jeff's arms around him.

"Hey," he said, suddenly seeming more alert, "are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, but this omni has no business landing us like this!" Jeff complained. "On a moving train? On the roof? In January? In two different places?"

They sat quietly. When Phineas shivered again, Jeff realized the blanket had fallen down and pulled it up again over his shoulders.

"Just get warmed up for now, okay?" he said worriedly, and walked over to an iron stove that sat on the left side of the car, in the center. There was a coffeepot on top of it and Jeff poured a cup and brought it back to his partner.

Phineas took the cup and sipped the hot liquid. "Thanks," he whispered and soon he felt much better. "Where are we?" he asked and Jeff took out the omni.

"Andover, Massachusetts, January 6, 1853, red light," he paused, staring at the omni.

"Familiar?" Phineas asked hopefully.

"Kind of," Jeff paused, "there's something about this place and a train," he stared off into space for a second, then suddenly turned to Bogg excitedly.

Jeffrey didn't have to say the words, Phineas could tell just from his body language that he knew something.

"What?" Bogg asked before he could speak.

"There was a famous train wreck here. Franklin Pierce was on the train after he was elected President, before he took office."

"What car would he be in? We probably have to keep him from dying in the crash."

Jeff hesitated and glanced up front, "this one, I think," he said softly, a horrified look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Phineas asked him.

"His son died in the crash," Jeff answered, then continued in a flat voice, "they cancelled his Inaugural Ball because the family was in mourning. It was the only time a ball was ever cancelled."

"How could you know all that when I barely know that Pierce was a President," Phineas asked him, impressed as always with the kid's knowledge.

"I just learned it at the museum, it was a game I played at the end of the day called "Presidential Trivia," Jeff explained, "but it doesn't seem so trivial now."

Phineas looked at Jeff and could tell he was upset. "Have you seen Franklin Pierce?"

Jeff nodded, "he's up front... his son was 11," he said.

Phineas heard these words and his mind ground to a halt. His first impulse was to protect Jeffrey, and his second thought was that this would be a lot harder for him now that he had Jeffrey in his life, than it would have been before. He knew he would have to steel himself in order to finish this mission.

"Have you seen his son?"

"He's sleeping in front."

_Author's Note: In addition to the research about this train wreck and Franklin Pierce and his son, etc., I also researched how railroad cars were heated in 1852. The details of all I was able to learn are included in this chapter and the next. _


	12. The Train Wreck

Chapter 12 The Train Wreck

They sat in silence together, until suddenly the entire train shook. Bogg reached out for Jeffrey's arm and grabbed the bar above his seat at the same time.

Too many things happened at once for Jeff to keep track of. The car continued to shudder and then shook violently. He was thrown to the side but Bogg had a tight reassuring hold on his arm. The severe shaking seemed to go on forever as the car plowed down an embankment, breaking in two.

Both halves finally it came to a stop and Jeff could hear screaming as the car began to fill with thick black smoke. The stove where he'd gotten the coffee was broken in half, the fire had spilled out onto the floor and the nearby upholstery had caught fire.

Phineas stood up, "we've gotta find Pierce and then get out of here," he told Jeff as he pulled him to his feet. He was glad to see that the kid seemed unharmed.

Phineas was afraid to leave Jeffrey alone as the interior of the car erupted in chaos. People were screaming as he climbed over the seats toward the front half, helping Jeff to follow him. Finally, he saw a man kneeling beside a small body, crushed under debris. The smoke was thick and he coughed deeply, covering his mouth with the collar of his shirt. He saw that the side of the car was ripped open, and keeping one hand on Jeffrey, he grabbed the man around the waste and dragged him toward the gaping hole. He resisted at first, but then became limp in Bogg's arm as he was dragged outside. His cries of grief filled the air as they all collapsed a few feet from the car. Phineas released his grip as he fell to his knees, coughing deeply and vomiting on the ground. The soot in his eyes made it hard to see, but he felt small arms trying to pull him forward and he moved in that direction, dragging the sobbing man. When they had moved a few feet farther away, he could finally see and his eyes fell on Jeffrey, covered in soot, coughing a little, but otherwise safe and sound.

Bogg lay down on his back resting and continuing to cough deeply and Jeff lay beside him, his arms around him, holding him close.

_Author's Note: This is all true Presidential trivia, a real train wreck, and Franklin Pierce lived (though he was initially assumed to be dead), his 11-year old son died, and the inaugural ball was cancelled. _


	13. Recovery

Chapter 13 Recovery

They lay together until the ground got so cold and the fire so hot that they had to move. Phineas continued to cough, but Jeff recovered quickly.

"You're in pretty good shape," Bogg observed several hours later, when he felt better. He was resting in a makeshift shelter near the wreck that was tended by local townspeople.

Jeff smiled, "I held my breath and closed my eyes and let you do all the work. Couldn't see anything anyway with all that black smoke."

"It's a good thing. I was so messed up once we got out, I didn't know which direction to go in. If you hadn't been able to see, and pulled me, I might've dragged us to the other half of the car." Since his recovery, Phineas had gone to look at the scene briefly, and he appreciated how close he had come to taking a wrong direction. Jeff had been able to see better and he'd trusted him enough to follow his lead.

That evening, they were taken to a hotel in Andover and allowed to clean up. After a simple meal, Phineas eased himself down on the bed, moving in slow motion. Just watching him move was enough to convince Jeff that he was very sore. He lay still and very soon Jeffrey could hear his breathing deepen and slow down as he fell asleep. Jeff pulled off his boots and spread two blankets over him. The temperature outside was below freezing and though they had a fire, Jeff knew they were likely to feel the chill before morning.

He yawned as he added wood to the fire, pulled off his own shoes and then climbed into bed.

Ooo

Phineas woke up feeling a bit stiff, but much better than when he had fallen asleep. He added wood to the fire and climbed back into bed. The sun was just rising and he would let Jeffrey sleep a bit longer.

"Hey Bogg?"

Phineas jerked awake, "hey, morning," he grunted. He glanced out the window, by the look of the sky, the sun had risen hours ago.

"You better?" Jeff asked, he was fully clothed and sitting in a chair in front of the fire, a book in his lap. "Yeah, thanks," Phineas answered, sitting up and pulling on his boots. "Do you ever stop reading?"

"Not if there's something good to read," was Jeff's quick answer.

Phineas shook his head. "How are you doing with this accident?" he asked.

Jeff looked directly at Bogg and understood what he was asking. He answered in an even voice, "I'm okay, actually I was so scared for myself, and you, that I didn't really think about his son at all."

"How about now?"

"Stop worrying about me so much," Jeff said smiling, "I'm pretty tough you know."

"I know."

"As long as you're okay, I'm okay," Jeff said, and he meant it.

"Well, as long as you're okay, I'm hungry," Bogg continued but suddenly and unexpectedly they felt the cosmos pulling them and disappeared.


	14. Taken

Chapter 14 Taken

They fell together onto the floor of the Control Room Receiving Area.

"Why didn't you tell me we were leaving" Jeff asked irritably as he stood up.

"I didn't bring us here," Bogg answered looking around, "but at least I know where we are this time. This is where you're supposed to land when you stop at headquarters," he finished.

Jeff narrowed his gaze and glanced around, "so we're at headquarters again? Weren't we just here for the trial? Not that I mind, it might be nice to.."

He was interrupted when a door opened and Professor Garth walked in.

"Professor, why are we here?" Phineas asked.

"We need to talk," was all Garth said and Phineas got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Garth led them into a side room with a conference table and they all sat down. There was an awkward pause before Garth spoke.

"The other members of the Tribunal will be here soon," he began. "I wanted to talk to you first, to let you know what has been going on." When Phineas and Jeffrey sat in silence, he continued. "Once the records on Jeffrey's life were opened, it was difficult to keep them private. The other members of the Tribunal have seen some of his future."

"Okay, but what does that mean, ... to us?" Bogg asked in a serious tone. He glanced at Jeffrey and saw that he looked as concerned as Phineas felt.

"It means that they feel they can make decisions about Jeffrey's future better than you can."

"Explain."

"They plan to place Jeffrey with a family here at headquarters, to begin his formal education as a Voyager as soon as possible."

"You mean take him away from me?" Bogg asked in disbelief.

"I'm afraid so."

"I can't let that happen," Bogg said without pausing to breathe.

"Yeah, they can't make me leave Bogg," Jeff added.

"Since you have no legal guardian here, the Council can do whatever it feels is in your best interests," Garth explained to Jeff.

"Then help me become his guardian," Phineas asked.

"I doubt a petition would be approved, now that they've decided what they feel is best for Jeffrey. I'm sorry. But I'm telling you this because I want you to know I don't agree with them."

"Then help us stay together," Phineas said.

Jeffrey looked from one to the other. "Please?" he asked Garth.

The door opened and Brindle and Kane walked in, followed by two assistants and the court stenographer. Bogg got a sinking feeling that this would become official very quickly.

"Councilor Garth, I see you've made it," Brindle said formally, acknowledging Garth's presence as she sat down. She and Kane nodded to Phineas and Jeff. "I trust you're ready to start?"

Garth sighed and took some papers out of a briefcase near his foot. Then he began speaking from a script.

"Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones, you have been summoned here for this hearing regarding the placement of said minor Jeffrey Jones. It is the majority opinion of this Tribunal that Jeffrey Jones be placed with Oliver and Lydia Brindle so that he can begin school immediately. Jeffrey if you would go with the bailiff for a few minutes."

Jeff looked at Bogg, who nodded, and reluctantly allowed himself to be escorted out of the room.

"As I was saying, it is the opinion of this Tribunal that Jeffrey Jones be placed with Oliver and Lydia Brindle so that he can begin school immediately in order to fulfil his unique destiny as a Voyager. This would be in the child's best interests."

"More like their own best interests," Phineas shot back. "They think Jeff is gonna do something great for Voyagers and they want him to get started as soon as possible."

Garth pounded the gavel, "that's enough," he said, but he looked at Phineas and tried to convey the thought that he agreed with his assessment.

"I want a lawyer," Bogg said as he locked eyes with Garth. "This has to stop now, while I get a lawyer."

"Bring the boy back in," Garth asked, and when Jeff was back, he continued, "We can reconvene after you get a lawyer, but Jeffrey Jones is from this moment, a ward of the court and has been placed with the Brindles. They will be here momentarily to meet him and take him home with them."

Bogg sat back, stunned.

"Momentarily?" Jeff whispered, his voice shaking as he reached with both hands and grasped Bogg's arm.

Phineas turned to him immediately and knelt down. He put his hands on Jeff's arms and stared into his eyes, "I'll get a lawyer and fight this," Jeff stared at him in shock. "I won't be far away, you'll be safe, and I'll see you as often as I can, I promise," he whispered.

There was a knock on the door and a young couple was escorted in. They smiled at Jeff as he stared back at them. Then he turned to Bogg and put his arms around him, "but I don't wanna go," he whispered into Bogg's ear.

Phineas held him tightly, until Garth was beside him and he had to let go. "We'll see each other again," he said quietly, "as often as we can, it'll be okay." He made his voice as calm as he could, to make this as easy for Jeff as possible, "who knows," and he tried to smile, "you might even like living with somebody smarter than me."

Jeff swallowed and stepped back, "don't leave me," he mouthed the words so only Bogg could know what he said.

"I won't," Phineas whispered back, the tone of his voice giving away his emotions. Then, suddenly Jeff was gone and the room seemed incredibly empty.

"Meeting adjourned," Garth said and the gavel fell. Suddenly Phineas Bogg, the ex-pirate who had always said 'I work alone' felt inconsolably lonely.

He sat down and wiped his eyes as everyone left.

"Phineas," it was Garth talking so Bogg pulled himself out of his shock and looked up. "I've had more time to consider this problem than you have, so I have some ideas on how to proceed."

"What should I do?"

"First thing, like you said, you need a lawyer, so I think we need to see Susan."


	15. Separated

Chapter 15 Separated

**Day One - Jeff**

Jeff sat at a large dining room table with Oliver and Lydia Brindle. A sandwich sat on the plate in front of him, but he hadn't touched it. He glanced up at them every now and then. They were conversing about something Jeff wasn't interested in, so he tuned them out. They looked like normal people, at least from the outside, and they had tried to make conversation with him on the way here, but Jeff hadn't really spoken to them. Everything had happened so fast, he felt numb. He thought back over Bogg's last words to him, "it'll be okay, I'll see you as often as I can, I promise," and he felt better.

He picked up his sandwich and started to eat, tuning back in to the dinner conversation.

"It's no wonder he doesn't know how to act, he's been with that pirate for the past 7 months, probably been living like an animal." Oliver's words found their way into Jeff's brain as he ate. He stopped chewing as he realized they were talking about Bogg. He stared at Oliver. He had a deep tan that was in sharp contrast to his perfectly pressed white shirt. He looked rich and successful.

"But that's where he was supposed to be," Lydia answered, "and after all we just uprooted him from his life..."

"You can't uproot somebody with no roots Lydia. He had no roots, that wasn't a life," Oliver's tone was one of contempt, Jeffrey could tell he didn't like Bogg.

"You don't even know Bogg, how can you say that about him?" Jeff said angrily. "He doesn't live like an animal and he's the best Voyager there is!"

Oliver and Lydia stared at him in surprise.

"Well, I guess he can talk," Oliver observed.

"And listen," Lydia added.

"And think," Jeff finished, crossing his arms in front of his chest and staring at them defiantly.

Oliver looked at him and his expression hardened. "So you've decided not to eat? Well, supposedly you want to learn, so here's your chance. Your tutors start this evening and this food only stays on the table for an hour. Eat it or leave it, I don't care."

"Oliver, it's his first day," Lydia began.

"He needs to fit into civilized society Lydia, and the sooner he understands how things are here, the better. Trust me."

Jeff looked at him and started eating, he may be angry, but he was also hungry, and definitely not stupid. He hoped he wouldn't be with them for long, but for however long it was, he did need to eat, and get along. He wondered if he should have spoken, but he just couldn't let Oliver talk about Bogg like that without defending him. He wondered if it would be easier for Bogg to get him back if he talked nicely to them. He didn't know, so for now he sighed and decided to be quiet.

**Day One - Bogg**

"Do you know how long it's been?" Phineas asked Susan as they met with Garth the following day.

"It's only been one day Phineas," Susan answered in exasperation. "I know it seems like a long time because you've been with Jeff constantly, but just think that he's safe, and learning as much as he wants. You've told me he's always asking you to teach him more."

"Why did you rest in a green zone for two weeks out of the past two months?" Garth asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"You've spent more time than usual in green zones lately," Garth continued, "Brindle sees that as potential educational time that's wasted. It wasn't a big part of her reason for this placement, but she did mention it."

Phineas stared at them. "Look, we had some difficult missions, and the omni sent us to a green zone. It's not my fault we just finished vacation the month before. And what makes her think there's nothing to learn in a green zone?" Bogg stared at them, "can we just get back to planning how to get Jeff back?"

"He's safe Phineas, we'll do it" Susan told him.

"I know he's safe, strictly speaking," he paused, "it's just that I want to be sure he's okay." Phineas glanced away after making this statement, he'd realized last evening what part of the real reason was for his anxiety and he wasn't proud of it. The truth was that he didn't like the thought of Jeffrey starting to feel close to the Brindles. He was Jeff's family, and he felt a bit jealous. They had so much more to offer him, a stable life, and as much formal education as he wanted. Bogg could never compete with that, and it was only a matter of time, a short matter really until they grew to love him, just like Phineas did. How could they help it? And Jeffrey's capacity for love was so big, he would grow to love them too.

Coming to the realization that he felt jealous had been difficult. Phineas had always thought he was above that. He should be able to let go of Jeff if it was the best thing for him, because he loved him. And after all, he'd still be able to see the kid. Still, he couldn't help feeling unhappy with himself, and uneasy with the situation. Maybe some of it was jealousy, but some was definitely suspicion. Brindle hadn't been interested in Jeff's wellbeing when Drake had Phineas on trial, why should she change now?

"Can I send him a message?" he asked.

"The Tribunal anticipated that request and has already decided that several days should pass, before you have any communication," Garth informed him.

"How many days?" Phineas asked, raising his voice.

"A week."

"I wanna know how he is, what he's doing, can I talk to the tutors?"

Garth sat back in surprise and glanced at Susan, "I don't see why not."

Phineas nodded and starting the following day, he began checking in with the tutors. Some of them were very stiff and uncommunicative, but two were friendly, and though they refused to deliver a message to Jeffrey, they did talk to him each day when he found them.


	16. Jeff's Life

Chapter 16 Jeff's Life

The first thing each tutor did was give Jeff a test to see what he already knew. He tried his best on the tests, but he kept thinking about what Bogg was doing and when he would see him. After the initial testing, his lessons began in earnest. He took seven, hour long classes each day, with seven different tutors. Each of them was a specialist and each gave him homework, so his days were busy. There hardly seemed to be time for anything else, even meals. On the sixth evening, he approached Lydia.

"Have you heard from Bogg?" he asked.

Lydia looked up from her notebook, and shook her head, "sorry, I haven't."

"You'd know if he was hurt, or sick, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," she answered and nodded.

Jeff paused and stared at her for a moment, then walked into his room. He lay down on the bed and curled up. He had expected Bogg to come and get him by now. How could it be that he hadn't even come to visit? Jeff could imagine Oliver not letting him visit, but still, Bogg could have sent him a message. Maybe he was enjoying himself, without having a kid to look out for. Jeff shook his head, 'no' he thought to himself, 'I know Bogg better than anyone else and he's trying to solve this, I know it.'

Suddenly he heard voices from the living area, so he got up and opened the door a crack, to listen.

"He seemed so sure that Voyager Bogg would have tried to see him, he even wondered if he was sick or hurt," Lydia was saying to Oliver. "Are you sure?"

Oliver paced away from her and turned back, "I said I was sure, don't you believe me?" He paused, "it doesn't surprise me at all. I mean, just look at Phineas Bogg, why would someone like that want a kid hanging around? I bet he's out with a different girl every night, having more fun than he's had in the past 7 months. He doesn't have time to worry about a runt like that." He sat beside Lydia, "that kid's odd, something's wrong with him, I'm beginning to think the records must be wrong. What could he possibly have to contribute to our way of life?" Oliver was on a roll, "I talked to the tutors today, do you know what he asked them? All of them? He asked when we teach about death. That's what he wants to learn about, and that's crazy, there's definitely something wrong with him, and now, thanks to my mother, we're stuck with him."

"Death?" Lydia asked, "why would he want to know about that?"

"None of the tutors could figure it out. It didn't have anything to do with what they were teaching." He paused, "I wouldn't worry about it, and I wouldn't take anything he says too seriously either. Phineas Bogg is glad to be rid of him, I have no doubts about that, and someday we will be too."


	17. Insight and Strength

Chapter 17 Insight and Strength

Jeff's jaw dropped open as he listened to Oliver Brindle's tirade. He quietly shut the door and leaned against it, staring into space. It had been less than a year since he'd leaned against another bedroom door after listening to his Aunt Elizabeth and Tom talk about how much trouble he was and how they wished he wasn't there. That had been one of the worst days of his life and he remembered vividly how sad and hopeless he had felt.

But that seemed like a long time ago, even though it had only been 7 months. He'd grown a lot since then. He had traveled with Bogg and been with him almost continuously. He had watched him in many situations. Some were easy and some difficult, some where they had fun and others where they had to work. He had not only learned about Voyaging, but about Bogg as a person, and about himself. Bogg had given him responsibility, and trusted him, and that meant he was a trustworthy person, a good person, not the misfit Oliver described. Just because Oliver said something, didn't make it true. They had all totally misunderstood his questions about death, too, so he guessed he'd better stop asking questions.

He looked at the pile of notebooks on his desk. He still had homework to do. Suddenly he decided not to do it. He was going to take a day off tomorrow and just stay in bed all day. Bogg would have to be here by tomorrow, Jeff was sure of it. He refused to recognize the sliver of doubt that had found its way into his brain because he knew that Brindle was more powerful than Bogg. What if she was more powerful than Professor Garth too?

No, he willed those thoughts to stop. Bogg would be here soon, and then he wouldn't have to do any more work. It seemed funny to be complaining about learning, he had always loved to learn. He frequently complained that Bogg wasn't teaching him enough, or fast enough. But, this was an unhappy place, and though meeting the different tutors and taking the classes had been kind of exciting at first, without Bogg, he just wasn't feeling very interested. Today in fact, he had been daydreaming during a lesson and hadn't been able to answer the question asked by the tutor because he'd been picturing Bogg leaning in to break the news about Blake's death to Tharp. That had led to his question about death, because he wondered how Bogg had learned to do such a hard thing.

Ooo

"Something is wrong, I have to see Jeffrey now," Bogg told Susan at the end of the sixth day.

"What?"

"I don't know, neither of the tutors would talk to me today, they always have something to say. And yesterday Lydia told them he hadn't eaten much."

"Tomorrow you can send a message, and next week we've got a date in court," Susan replied.

Phineas smiled, "good, but I really want to see him."

"So do I," a voice came from the door, and Garth entered. "I'll deliver your message, personally."


	18. The Message

Chapter 18 The Message

The next morning, Lydia entered Jeff's room when he didn't show up for breakfast. "Hey Jeff, are you up?" she asked as she entered.

Jeff didn't answer so she walked closer to the bed and pulled the covers off his head.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Nothing," Jeff answered

"Are you sick?" she asked worriedly.

"No," he answered.

She stood staring at him and pushed a thin strand of dark hair behind her ear, "then why aren't you getting up?"

Jeff took a deep breath and sighed. The truth was, he didn't really know why he couldn't get up, but he couldn't. He didn't say anything. Lydia knelt beside the bed and put her hand on his shoulder, "I'm gonna have to call a doctor if you don't talk to me," she whispered in a kind voice.

Jeffrey didn't answer. He spent the morning in bed, and that afternoon, a doctor, Sid Bradshaw, was called in to see him.

Ooo

"So, what's wrong with him?" Lydia asked Bradshaw as Oliver looked on. They were in the living room, out of earshot from Jeffrey and the doctor had just finished his examination.

"I can't find anything wrong with him," Bradshaw said. He was short and stout, with thinning hair and glasses that frequently slid down his nose. He adjusted them as he spoke.

"I knew it, just laziness, bad habits he picked up from that pirate no doubt," Oliver said.

"It's not laziness," Bradshaw said, "if I had to make a diagnosis, I'd say he's homesick." He was almost a head shorter than Oliver, but when he stood up straight, as he did now, there was some indefinable quality about him that commanded respect.

"Homesick?" Oliver exclaimed, "he doesn't have a home to be homesick for, he's just trying to get out of studying. His first tests are next week. I knew this wouldn't work, whatever future everyone thinks he's got, it has to be a mistake. There's nothing special about him, he's just lazy."

"You think he misses Voyager Bogg?" Lydia asked the doctor.

"I do," was the positive answer. "My prescription is to allow Voyager Bogg to visit," he finished. He nodded his head to Oliver, then closed his bag and walked out.

After he left, Oliver spoke, "I know how to cure him of laziness," and he started to remove his belt.

"You don't have to beat me, I'll get up," Jeff told them from the doorway of his room.

"Eavesdropping on our conversation, eh? Is that what you learned when you were with Bogg? How to eavesdrop, and fake being sick to get out of work?" Oliver accused him.

"Well, you are talking about me, after all," was Jeff's quick retort. "And I don't believe Bogg wouldn't try to see me, so I think you must be stopping him. I'll play your game for now, but I don't trust you and I don't like you."

"Why you little!" Oliver rushed toward Jeff in a rage, waving his belt and Jeffrey quickly stepped back into his room and slammed the door just as Oliver got to it. He stood leaning against the closed door, breathing hard and thinking that he would eventually be beaten with that belt unless he got out of there. Especially since he didn't seem able to control his mouth where Oliver was concerned. He would have to run away, he seemed to have no choice.

Suddenly, the sound of a doorbell interrupted his thoughts. They had never had guests before and he wondered who it could be. He strained to listen and heard Professor Garth's voice, so he opened the door a bit. He knew he'd be safe, Oliver wouldn't attack him with a witness like Garth around.

"Hello Oliver, Lydia. I thought I'd stop in to see how Jeffrey was doing," he heard Garth say. "Ah, Jeffrey," he said when he saw Jeff standing in the doorway of his room. "I have a message I need to deliver," he paused, "in private."

To Jeff's astonishment, Garth walked over to him and opened the door further to let them both into the bedroom. He closed the door and sat down on the bed.

"Is it from Bogg?"

"Yes."

"Is he all right? I should've heard from him before now," Jeff said.

"He's been going crazy because they wouldn't allow any messages in, he's been talking to your tutors every day, so he'd know what you were doing, but they wouldn't deliver a message either," Garth told him. "He's been impossible to deal with, just ask Susan."

"I knew it," Jeff said with a smile, "he's okay though?"

"Yes, he's fine, very worried about you, hard to keep him under control, he just wants to storm this place and take you back, but I've convinced him that's not the way to solve this problem."

Jeff's smile broadened and he actually laughed.

"I think we have a plan, but we have to wait for a date to present it to a judge. I'm trying to speed things up but there's only so much I can do. It looks like it'll be another week. In the meantime, he wants to know how you are? So what do you want me to tell him?"

Jeff took a deep breath, "Oliver thinks I'm lazy and it's no fun here," here he stopped, if he told the whole truth, Bogg would worry, "and I miss him a lot, just tell him... I miss him a lot."

Garth listened to the words and tone, Jeff's last words were charged with emotion, as if there was more to say, but he just couldn't get it out. "Okay," he said. "He gave me a message for you too, but he told me I'd have to show you, not tell you."

Jeff cocked his head sideways, "I don't understand," he said.

"Come close," Garth motioned Jeff to stand close to him, then he put his arms around him and pulled him in, "he said to do this," Garth whispered, and Jeff put his arms around Garth and returned the hug.

As Garth released him, Jeff whispered, "thanks."

"It may be another week, so hang in there," he said as Jeff stepped away from him.

"Guess I don't have to run away to find him, huh?"

"No, don't do that."

Jeff nodded, "tell him I'm fine," he said smiling. As Garth left the apartment, he couldn't believe how much better he felt. Bogg was out there fighting for him and he could put up with anything that Oliver could dish out. He went out into the living area, ready to get the beating over with so they could just get past it, but Oliver seemed to have lost his enthusiasm for attacking Jeffrey. Maybe he was afraid Jeff had told Garth about his threats.

_Author's Note: My first experience with homesickness was when I spent a few weeks as a camp nurse for a church sleep-away camp. My first week there, a boy came in complaining of leg pain and then proceeded to lay down on the couch and was unable to move or speak. His symptoms were so profound I called the on-call physician, who thank goodness was more experienced in these things than I was at the time. The kid (11 years old) looked incredibly ill but was really homesick! Since then I've had a healthy respect for homesickness and the ability of our feelings to affect our bodies. _


	19. The Plan

Chapter 19 The Plan

The next week with the Brindles was not much fun for Jeffrey. He attended the classes, resigned to his fate, but there were lots of times when he couldn't concentrate. He often had a stomachache, but never complained to anyone, he didn't think anyone would care.

On the fifth day of the week, Lydia noticed he hadn't eaten anything for lunch. "Are you all right?" she asked, looking at his plate as she cleared the table. She put her hand on his forehead and Jeff thought she actually sounded concerned.

"I'm not hungry," Jeff answered as he spread out his books, waiting for the next tutor to arrive. It was Jordan, the youngest and friendliest of his tutors. He smiled at Jeff as they started the lesson, his light brown hair was the same color as Bogg's and thinking of that made Jeff's stomach hurt more. He leaned on his elbow and stared at Jordan as the lesson began.

"You don't seem that interested in learning today," Jordan observed after about ten minutes.

"I know Bogg talks to the tutors, and since you're nice, he probably talks to you, maybe you could tell him something for me, when you see him?" Jeff asked.

Jordan paused uncomfortably, he had been given strict orders not to deliver messages between them, though he had given Phineas his daily observations of Jeffrey. Jeff however, wasn't supposed to know that.

"I know they probably told you not to, but when you see him, can you tell him my stomach hurts? Please?"

Jordan swallowed hard and ended the lesson early. After he left, he paused outside the door, and then as if making a decision, began walking purposefully toward the medical unit.

Jeff watched him leave and then went back to his room and climbed into bed. He laid down on his side, curled up, holding his stomach. Lydia found him there an hour later.

Ooo

Judge Owens sat on the other side of the large, oak table and shuffled some papers. He looked much older than Garth, though Phineas knew he'd only been on the bench for 20 years, hardly the length of a legal career. This was because he'd been a Field Worker for many years, before beginning legal training. He was an unusual man, and Phineas had a feeling that Susan and Garth were right, he was unique in his perspective and would be courageous in his decisions.

Phineas bit his lower lip as he watched Owens arrange the stack of papers in front of him. He and Susan sat side by side, on the other side of the table, with Garth sitting nearby. Asking Owens to hear the case had been Garth's idea, Owens had mentored Garth when he first became a Field Worker and then Garth had mentored Owens when he began his education in law, much later. They had a long and trusting relationship.

Finally, Owens took off his glasses and addressed them. "Well, I've reviewed all the facts about your situation and you are correct, I would have to turn down this petition for guardianship."

"But why?" Phineas said immediately, hoping that what they had already figured out would hold up in court.

The judge smiled at them and explained. "It's not because I don't think you would be a fine guardian, but the simple truth is that Jeffrey has a legal guardian already, who is alive in her own time. She is a blood relative and therefore, her status takes precedence."

"Even though Jeff isn't with her?" Phineas asked.

"The fact that she doesn't know that he has been taken, doesn't change the fact that she is his legal guardian."

"So, a Voyager Tribunal couldn't take custody either?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't believe so."

"All right!" Phineas exclaimed. "Now we can move forward."

"Forward?" Owens asked.

"Yes," Susan said, taking over, "The Tribunal can't decide custody issues if Jeff's aunt says no. We plan on convincing her to grant custody to Phineas."

Owens looked at them and paused, "it could work, assuming you can convince her."

"Just to be clear, you're saying that legally, I only have 2 choices, either Jeff lives with whoever the Tribunal picks, or I get his Aunt Elizabeth to give me custody?" Phineas asked.

"Yes."

"So I'll convince her," he finished then paused, "this is a different topic, but, can I ask you both a question?" he addressed the judge and Garth.

"Certainly," Garth answered and Owens nodded. Susan listened in, her curiosity piqued.

"Have either of you ever heard of an omni that changed colors for reasons other than the time-stream history?" Bogg asked.

Owens stared at him, "what happened to you?" he asked, seeming to grasp the meaning of the question first.

Phineas hesitated, then explained the change from red to green after Blake's death. "What I want to know is, would it be possible for my omni to signal a red light in order to give me an experience, or Jeff an experience that we somehow needed? That he needed? And then turn green after we got whatever we could get out of the experience?"

The room was silent.

"I mean, Jeff's supposed to have some special future, right? Do you think my omni could be," he paused, "nudging us in the right direction?" He felt kind of embarrassed saying it, he didn't want it to seem as though he thought he was that important, but curiosity was eating at him and he had to ask. These two men had almost a hundred years of voyaging experience between them, the opportunity to ask them was too great to miss.

Garth and Owens exchanged a brief look and then Owens spoke.

"There is a legend that contends that sometimes, an omni and its owner can seem to develop a kind of relationship. Some old stories I've heard are very similar to what you've described. I think it's possible, though some people might disagree."

Bogg looked at Garth, "Professor?"

Garth nodded, "rarely, yes, we have documented evidence of that happening."

"What would make it happen?" Phineas asked.

A knock at the door interrupted their discussion. An office worker entered and handed a note to Phineas. He opened it and Susan watched as the color left his face, "it's from Dr. Bradshaw, Jeff's in the Infirmary," he said as he headed for the door.

_Author's Note: I know it's a bit mystical to have Bogg's omni "guiding them" so to speak, but I reasoned that time travel was a bit mystical and in Episode 4, in Salem a "ghost" appeared to help them convince the Puritans to give up the witch hunts. I figure those two things set the precedent, so this plot is allowable. I like it anyway. _


	20. At the Infirmary

Chapter 20 At The Infirmary

Sid Bradshaw took the call from Lydia Brindle during a busy shift in the infirmary. He had just spoken to Jordan, Jeff's tutor less than a half-hour ago, and now he listened to what Lydia said about the child's symptoms. He immediately asked her to bring him in.

Truthfully, his conscience had been bothering him about the child since he'd examined him the first time. He had wanted to follow up, to make sure that Bogg had been called to see Jeffrey, but he had been very busy. He knew about Oliver Brindle's temper too. He'd treated two men who had been injured by him the previous week, and something about Brindle's demeanor after he'd told them of the homesickness had set off a red flag in his brain. But Jeff hadn't been hurt, and he knew Oliver's mother wouldn't want Jeffrey injured, so he had convinced himself that Jeff wasn't in any real danger.

Now though, with new symptoms, and what he knew of the situation, he was glad to pull Jeff in and admit him. Once the boy was here, he would be in charge of the child, not the Brindles, and that was the way he wanted it.

Lydia and Oliver Brindle brought Jeff in an hour later and Dr. Bradshaw asked them to leave during the exam. He knew more about Jeff's situation than either of them guessed, and wrote the note to Phineas after he examined Jeff. The boy was very quiet and seemed unable to cooperate with him during the exam, quite a bit different from the last time he'd examined him. He gave only one-word, monotone answers to relatively easy questions. When he told Jeffrey he was calling Bogg in to see him, the boy had begun to cry.

"So, what's wrong with him?" Lydia asked when he left the room to speak with them in the hall.

"I'm not sure yet," Bradshaw told them.

Several minutes later, he was paged to the front desk. Phineas Bogg was waiting there, pacing around anxiously. Dr. Bradshaw introduced himself.

"What's wrong with Jeff, when can I see him?" were Bogg's first anxious words.

Sid Bradshaw ushered him toward the treatment room, convinced that this was the first person he'd met who truly cared about the boy.

"Why is he here?" Oliver said, pointing to Bogg as he rose from his chair outside Jeff's door.

"He's confirming my diagnosis," Bradshaw said and opened the door, inviting Bogg in.

Phineas entered and went straight to where Jeffrey lay and knelt beside the bed, "Jeff?"

Jeff opened his eyes and reached out for Phineas, who picked him up and held him close as Jeff started to cry quietly. Bogg looked around for a place to sit down, and Bradshaw, as if reading his mind, pushed a recliner chair behind him. Bogg sat down with the boy cradled in his arms.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked, but Jeff didn't answer, he just buried his face deeper into Bogg's shoulder and sobbed. Bogg pulled him closer and rested his head on top of Jeffrey's. He didn't feel hot, and the doctor didn't seem too worried, so he started to calm down. He looked at Dr. Bradshaw, "is he okay? What's wrong with him?"

"I think so, now. I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes, but when I get back I'd like to examine him again." He walked out with a spring in his step and Bogg heard him asking the Brindles to come out to the desk to sign some papers.

Bogg leaned back in the chair, still cradling Jeffrey in his arms. It felt so good to be with him again, and whatever the problem was, the doctor was so reassuring that he was confident it could be fixed. Jeff slowly calmed down, but he didn't speak for a long time.

Finally, he sat up and faced Bogg, "I thought something happened to you, it's been so long," he said.

"I've been trying to see you, and we have a plan to make me your permanent guardian. I'm sorry it's taking so long. How do you feel? They said you were sick?"

Jeff shrugged and leaned into Bogg's chest again.

A few minutes later, Dr. Bradshaw walked in. "Okay," he addressed Jeff, "back on the table so I can examine you again."

Bogg sat beside Jeff and watched the doctor do the exam, Jeffrey looked at him and smiled, unable to control his happiness.

"So how's the stomach ache now?" Bradshaw asked.

Jeff shrugged, it still hurts a little," they were interrupted by a loud growl from Jeff's stomach.

"Do you think that might be because you're hungry?" Bradshaw asked smiling.

"Maybe, yeah," Jeff said, smiling at him for the first time.

"I'll send in some supper, then we'll see how you're doing."

As Bradshaw left, Phineas spoke, "listen doc, thanks for sending me that note."

Bradshaw paused at the door and looked back at them, "I had no choice really."

"Why?" Phineas asked.

"Because you were the treatment," he answered. "A doctor makes a diagnosis, then prescribes treatment, that's the way it works."

"What's the diagnosis?" Bogg asked.

"He was homesick," Bradshaw said simply, and turned to leave.

"But I wasn't pretending, it really did hurt," Jeff said turning back to Bogg. Something inside him didn't want Bogg to think he had been making it up.

"I know," Phineas said seriously, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I've had a stomachache myself since they took you away from me. Emotions can really make you feel sick."

"You did?" Jeff asked.

"More than that too."

"What do you mean?"

Bogg felt embarrassed, but said what was on his mind anyway, "I felt a little jealous."

"Of what?" Jeff asked in astonishment.

"Well, you know, there are two of them, like a regular family, and they had a nice house, and you could learn as much as you wanted," he paused, "and you always said I'm not teaching you enough," he stopped and looked at Jeff. "I was afraid that you'd be happier with them, I didn't want to lose you." He avoided Jeff's gaze as he spoke, and was surprised when he felt Jeffrey hug him again tightly. His arms fell around Jeff automatically and he held him close.


	21. The Ural Mountains

Chapter 21 The Ural Mountains

As they sat waiting for supper, Jeffrey spoke, "They didn't think I wanted to learn very much," he admitted.

"I thought you were a bottomless pit when it comes to learning," Phineas said.

Jeff shrugged, "I guess I am with you."

There was silence.

"Teach me about the Volga and Ural Rivers," Jeff asked, and Phineas didn't have the heart to refuse.

Bogg laughed and shook his head, this kid, his kid, was amazing. "What do you know about the Ural Mountains?"

Jeff searched his mind as he settled in against Bogg's chest again. "Not much, they're in Europe, aren't they?"

"Basically, they separate Europe from Asia. They stretch from the Arctic Ocean in the north to almost the Caspian Sea in the south, and they're important to Voyagers so you should know a lot about them. Actually, you should know about the Caspian Sea too, but I'll save that for another day," Bogg answered with a smile.

"Why are they important? What should I know?"

"The Ural Mountains are unique on the earth. They have a very high concentration of certain metals and because of that, the omni won't function correctly in some of the river valleys in those mountains. The metals are concentrated in the sediment of the rivers. Remember we talked about that? So, no Voyager wants to be dropped into the Ural Mountains, especially near the Volga or Ural rivers."

"What metals?" Jeff asked interestedly.

"The Platinum Group metals. Six elements clustered together on the Periodic Table. Do you know what the Periodic Table is?"

"I read a book once called "Mendeleev and the Numbering of the Elements."

"Of course you did," Phineas commented.

Jeff continued with a smile, "it was about how Dmitri Mendeleev figured out how to put all the elements into the Periodic Table so it would make sense. But, I don't remember very much about platinum, other than it's a metal," Jeff admitted.

"Do you know that if metals are listed in the same area on the table, they have similar properties?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Anyway, omnis don't function right if you get too close to the platinum group metals. So Voyagers would never willingly go to either the Volga or Ural rivers. It would be very unusual to get dropped there, and if we ever did, we'd hike away from the water, up into the mountains and get out as soon as we could."

"Wow!" Jeff exhaled. He'd been mesmerized by the story Bogg was telling. He was impressed with Bogg's knowledge. Every time he started to feel like he knew it all, it seemed Bogg would be able to teach him something else. "Now tell me about the Caspian Sea."

"I want to finished with the Urals first, so I'm sure you understand it," Phineas answered.

Jeff sighed, but smiled, "okay, what else is there?"

"Okay," he continued, "the six platinum group metals are ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and platinum. So, let's see if we can find a pencil so you can write them down a few times."

Jeff immediately got up and began to search some nearby drawers until he found a pencil and a scrap of paper. Then he sat down at a desk close to Phineas and started to write, "what are they again?" he asked trying to stifle a yawn.

Phineas repeated the names so Jeffrey could write them down.

Supper was brought in before he finished and they ate together. Dr. Bradshaw stopped in briefly afterward. "Just wanted to finalize the diagnosis, just to be sure," he told them. "It looks like there's going to be some fireworks outside, so just stay in here. Jeffrey's my patient and he's still under treatment."

Just then they heard loud voices outside the door. "There it is, stay here," he said and walked out.

"Why is Voyager Bogg in there with him," it was Brindle's voice.

"I told you, they've manipulated the doctor," they heard Oliver say.

Bradshaw cleared his voice. "Jeffrey Jones is my patient and is undergoing treatment at the moment."

"And how long will this 'treatment' take?" Brindle asked.

"I'll re-evaluate him tomorrow," Bradshaw said firmly.

"You can't keep him here for homesickness, that's ridiculous," Oliver said.

Bradshaw picked up the chart outside the door and wrote something at the bottom. Oliver took it and read aloud, "Abdominal pain, ?gastroenteritis" what's that?" he asked.

"The diagnosis that's going to keep him overnight. Now, he needs rest and quiet, so why don't you folks go home and call me in the morning."

"Who's your supervisor?" Brindle asked, insensed.

Bradshaw handed her a card, "he's expecting your call," he said.

She took the card in frustration, realizing he'd already talked to his supervisor about the case. "On second thought, I'll call the Head of the Hospital," she said.

"I need you to clear this area, we never know when we'll be getting an emergency in," Bradshaw told them all, motioning to the door of the waiting room. He watched them leave with a satisfied expression. He hadn't talked to Hal Chamberlain, the Head of the Hospital, but he had been working there long enough to know that Chamberlain would never override a treatment decision, no matter who asked. He walked to the desk and addressed the evening manager, "I'll be here tonight. If anything happens with Jeffrey Jones, I want to know right away."

She nodded and he went for one last time to check-in with Jeff before retiring for the evening.

_Author's Note: These facts about the Ural Mountains and the platinum group metals are true. The book about Mendeleev is a real book. That they disrupt the functioning of an omni is only the product of my imagination of course._


	22. An Unexpected Solution

Chapter 22 An Unexpected Solution

Sid Bradshaw opened the door and took in the scene. Bogg was holding Jeffrey, who had fallen asleep on his lap. He closed the door quietly as he entered, "he hasn't been sleeping very well," he said to Bogg.

"Thanks for everything," Phineas said in a quiet voice, not wanting to wake Jeff.

"Councilor Garth stopped in, you have a hearing tomorrow, I want to be there, I think my testimony will help."

"I'd appreciate it," and he explained their plan to get custody from Jeffrey's aunt.

"Leave that as a last resort," was Bradshaw's surprising answer. "If you need it at some point, you can use it, but as long as they think the Tribunal has the power to choose a guardian, we're in the clear."

"What do you mean?" Phineas asked him in confusion.

"The Tribunal does have a lot of power, but medical decisions can override their rulings," he explained. "And since it was a two to one ruling in the first place,"

"Really?" Bogg interrupted, a slow smile dawning on his face.

"Really," and Sid Bradshaw smiled broadly. "And I'm about to write up my evaluation of the situation and submit it tomorrow. I spoke to Lydia Brindle when she called about Jeff's condition, and she and several of Jeff's tutors are willing to give testimony that supports our case too."

Bogg smiled, this was the best news he'd heard in what seemed like a long time. "But, her mother-in-law still doesn't like me, I think she'd fight it, I mean it could take a long time," Bogg said, still afraid they might have to remain separated until the final decision was made.

"If she does, I'll take custody, she can't find fault with me as a guardian. And you won't have to convince me to give custody back to you either, because the way I see it, you never really lost it."

"I never had custody in the first place," Bogg told him.

"Yes you did," and he pointed to his heart, "in here."

Phineas swallowed, overcome with emotion, "I can't thank you enough," he said, and his voice betrayed his emotions.

Sid Bradshaw smiled, "are you kidding, I'm enjoying this. Making a difference in someone's life is the reason I became a doctor in the first place." He put a hand on Bogg's shoulder, "you do what you do best, and I'll do what I do," and then he was gone and Bogg pulled Jeffrey even closer and finally felt like he could relax.

The End

_Author's Note in next chapter_


End file.
